User Reviews

Feel very lucky to have this one. Posting a review late. Poured 7/20/16 for a birthday share. Typical BCS inky black pour. Still great carbonation after all of this time. Nose is amazing, not quite marshmallow like other fresh vanilla stouts. Having Vanilla Rye at the same time, nose on VR blows this away but taste is a different story. The stout, barrel and vanilla are in perfect harmony. By far my favorite variant to date. Job well done Goose. Will seek more out.

Well, here it goes. Pours out the typical motor oil black with zero carb bubbles. Smells like a typical bourbon county with a bit more vanilla than usual. Definitely not a nilla bomb on the nose. The taste is much more vanilla forward. Like a fudge bar topped with vanilla frosting. Wow. Time has done this beer wonders. So very smooth. Probably the best varient next to vr.

Wow 6 years in and still holds perfect carbonation. Vanilla is not gone at all but has faded slightly. Mouth feel is super silky smooth and probably one of my favorite things about this beer. Vanilla / Stout / Bourbon are in perfect unison as everything is a complete balance and compliment of one another.

For those haters that say the Vanilla has faded on this one they are crazy! Tons of Vanilla still there, this is still an amazing beer! Purchased this bottle along with many others of its caliber for a small group tasting and it was definitely one of the stars!

Hits those black notes, brown head, 1/2". Aroma was bourbon first, then vanilla, then some roast and barrel notes.

Taste was a syrupy, thick, sweet, marshmallow like existence (much sweeter than any other variation, even bramble). The sweetness eats up some of the alcohol hotness this would have at 13%, does it very nicely. Its very good, but hardly a novel concept anymore in the near 6 years since its release. Carbonation soft but appropriate.

Has held up very well in its 5+ years. No alcohol burn whatsoever. Just vanilla marshmallow fudge goodness. Carbonation held up quite well too. Having had VR recently I'd take a 5+ year old version of this over the VR if given the choice.

Had on tap at Goose Island Rare Day. A special treat. This beer has aged well and is well rounded. The vanilla really has faded into a background note as part of the barrel treatment. The body is fudgy and warming but minimal bourbon heat. Very balanced and rich.

Motor-oil thick black sludge with deep brown silk head. Aroma is softer than the regular- the chocolate/whiskey/wood notes are now pleasant, softened by a moderate vanilla note. Flavor is also toned down compared to BCBS, probably to make way for a warm real vanilla bean entourage. The amount of vanilla is perfect: strong enough to notice without searching, but not overpowering/monotone, even if it does take the overall flavor profile back a step from the original. The malt, or perhaps if the barrels were charred, adds a good dark chocolate bitterness, but there is also significant sweetness to it, made more noticeable by the vanilla, or at least it triggers memories of all the other sweet vanilla things we eat. No trace of alcohol. The mouthfeel is as close to perfect as it can get. SO rich and thick, barely a pulse of carbonation without becoming flat, or even undercarbonated. Only calling it full bodied would be an insult.
Awesome beer, not as crazily overpowering and harsh as the original, but still bold. The vanilla is great- authentic, fresh, well balanced, well incorporated. It's earned its spot among the greats.

Note: Not to brag, but this was a perfectly aged bottle from 2010- nearly the full 5 years of age recommended and well treated that whole time. I had a younger bottle a while ago, it had a bit of the harsh alcohol edge to it, the level of vanilla was *approaching* immature (too much), and it wasn't quite as thick, but the rest of the review stands true.

Black as night. Smells of big bourbon and slight vanilla backend. Taste is of bourbon, chocolate and a suprising vanilla backend that just grows. Feel is of wonderful vanilla that lasts for days. Overall I can't believe the vanilla has that kind of staying power and the beer has morphed into a balanced phenomenon. Seek this out!!

Had it and it was great but... Spilt this with a friend and first pour was amazing, like best I've ever had good, second pour vanilla sweetness started taking over. If your into that thing it's perfect for you but it started being too much after 8 oz for me. This thing will steal the show at a bottle share but with a small split it's too much.

Holy yum! Vanilla left, right, and centre. Like Maltesers or a vanilla milk shake. Endless linger. More a liqueur than a beer. Every drop was like a piece of candy - I sucked the last dribble out of the bottom of the bottle and I'm not ashamed to say so. Top 5 beers I've ever had - I wish I had a case. Just spectacular. 4.75

S: Warm roasty dark chocolate. Vanilla is definitely still there but not punching you in the face.

T: Burnt Chocolate, dark sugar, soft vanilla and bourbon warmth. Either (a) this beer was a super bourbon bomb back when it was released in 2010; or (b) the notion that booze mellows over time is flawed. Maybe both? Point is, the bourbon on this bad boy is still right there, tickling and providing a little burn on the back end. If this beer has "mellowed" over time, then I can only imagine how hot and boozy it would have been 5 years ago. Either way, it's damn good to this day. Vanilla is still there as well. Not nearly as sweet as the new Vanilla Rye, which for me, is a plus.

O: It's always a real treat having a beer that's been around for a while. Makes you pause and reflect on how much your life has changed since the beer went into the bottle and also makes you marvel at how well made a beverage beer can be.

A lot of vanilla in the smell and taste, even after almost 5 years! I do prefer the vanilla rye, since it is more smooth in my opinion, but this is still a great beer, combining chocolate, coffee and vanilla into a great, silky smooth beer.

L: dark dark brown with some burgundy at the edge; mocha head on the 2014
S: 2014 smells like a vanilla bean split open, some rye/pepper, a little chocolate; 2010, surprising amount of vanilla left, oak, cocoa nibs.
T: 2014 taste straight up like a vanilla bean, vanilla bean ice cream, a little bit of chocolate, a bit of rye flavor but still a little hot. 2010, much more mellow and rounded with age, still a lot of vanilla, softer bourbon flavors, some oak and coconut.

Unbelievable...this is an outstanding balanced beer! The smell is great, almost as enjoyable as the taste! Looks dark like melted Chocolate that stains the glass with a thin brown head. Tastes like Coffee, Vanilla, Chocolate, Bourbon perfectly balanced to show off each flavor without a single one overpowering the other! Mouthfeel coats your mouth with an unbelievable taste that lingers for a while making you want more! Overall this is a perfectly brewed beer I gave it a well deserved 5! Crying shame to retire this one!!

This is an unbalanced beer when fresh. I think it wants to be aged. Vanilla is overpowering. Reminiscent of drinking a stout flavored glass of vanilla extract. This is the least appealing of the bourbon county varietals that I've tried. Mouthfeel is predictably silky but a less vanilla forward stout would be an improvement.

My only complaint is that the vanilla at this point is pretty faded. On the other hand, this beer has the best mouth feel I have every experienced. I'm sure there is bottle variation here, but I would like to try another and see how I would rate the second bottle compared to the first one.

Wow--- talk about a creamy, chocolaty, bourbon-soaked marshmallow bomb.... Still powerful and youthful! Wish I could open one of my '14 vanilla's to compare but id be too ripped.... If you can find this, get it!!

Drinkability is probably an issue with this one, but, for better or worse, this thing is straight up vanilla-laced chocolate chip cookie. Super tasty, but, again, not sure how much one could really take down.

Most certainly worth the line in winter to have on draft. I thought this was amazing, however, the Mexican vanilla bean was a little too potent at this point in time. I'm aging a bottle with no doubt this will be a 5!